I also bought my C645 recently during the Contax day sale. The price was just to attractive to pass on. Besides, I was so sick and tried of the manual Hasse and Mamiya that I have used for years. They are great gears but out dated and not friendly to use. I did consider the Hasselblad H1 a little bit. But I like the idea that I can share my C645 lenses with my N system. And I know that the pricing for the new H1 will be out of my reach, especially when it just comes out without any rebate.
I love the C645, the handling is just great. I have also purchased a MP-1 battery and Polaroid back. I have done a lot of studio shooting with strobes and I have not have a single problem.
I did report (in a different thread) a problem with the Polaroid back earlier, which the camera will turn off itself and won’t wake up. The very next day, I decided to give it a try before I exchange it. Only this time it worked perfectly. I did a whole day studio shoot with the Polaroid back on and off more than 10 times and the camera never turned itself off anymore. Besides, I could wake the camera up using any buttons from the camera body or the MP-1 grip.
Lesson learned:
1. Old dog new tricks – take your time to learn new gear. Since I was shooting in the studio, I mounted my camera on a tripod. It surely gave me a better and more stable position to mount the back, comparing to mount it on my lap. Now that I know there is no problem with the back, if it does not work, I know it is an operator error. After spending enough time on it, I am able to mount the back in any position without any problem.
2. Break in – I believe things take time to break in. Especially the person’s mind set and the way they used to the old habits.
However, I find that the Polaroid back is very difficult to mount comparing to the other MF cameras, especially with the MP-1 grip on the camera. To be able put the C645 with the polar back on a tripod, you need the MP-1 grip in order to give enough clearance. Unless you buy the expensive quick release adapter. Who needs the adapter when all of my tripod heads have QR plates. Besides, the MP-1 battery grip keeps the camera going for long, long time.
In summary, I am a happy man with the C645. I just like to share my experience with other Contax users.
Albert.